Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-04-06
New Market House.
(For the SPECTATOR. !

The writer Of this communication is an
old citizen, and he fears the City Council
| are about to make mistake in building
new market-house. The attempt to estab-
lish market has been made three times
within his recollection, and always failed.
The original market-house stood near where
the present Jewish Synagogue stands. Ear
| nest efforts were made to sustain it by
| system of ordinances, but it had to be aban-
doned. 1t was supposed that the incon-
venience Of the location was the cause Of
| the failure. A new and more central lot,
Chat on which the house formerly occupied
by Mrs. PilsOn stands) was bought. and a
new market-hOuse erected. That also prov
ed failure, and had to be given up. After
the lapse of few years, the third market
house was erected on the creek, diagonally
across from Mr.. VIM. A. Burks's residence.
The writer was an earnest and enthusiastic
advocate Of that improvement, and united
with large number of other citizens, in
vigorous efforts to sustain it. While the
novelty lasted, it was pretty we'll patroniz-
ed. But it was not long before it, too, had
to be abandoned.
The reasons, were, first, that it proved in
convenient to the working-men Of the town.
The market opened about 4 o'clock in the
morning, and remained open until near the
middle of the day. During marke t-hours
it was not lawful to buy meats, vegetables,
fowls, eggs or butter, anywhere else than
at the market house. The butchers attend
ed at daylight and laboring men could get
their supplies of meat at an early hour, but
the other market stufs were not brought
from the country until later hour, after
the mechanics and wage-earners had gone
to their daily work. They, therefore, had
no chance to buy anything but meats, and
hence there was no competition for country
produce. Men who kept servants sent Or
ders the day before the market, and engaged
their supplies of meat in advance, leaving
only the BAD class qualities to be sold in
open market.
The system also proved unacceptable to the
farmers, who came to town with their wives
in buggies and spring wagons, bringing
few pounds of butter or chickens and eggs to
exchange for groceries or other supplies
They did not like the idea OF being ordered
to 60 to the market-house, and sit there, in
their vehicles, in the sweltering sun until
their butter had run to oil, and their eggs
added, and vegetables made stale by the
Summer heat! After a single trial they
generally determined not to come back
again. The result was, that while they
would have preferred dealing in Staunton,
where there were larger supplies of what
they wanted, sooner than submit to the
humiliation which was forced on them, they
carried their produce to the nearest coun-
try store, and exchanged it for groceries or
other merchandise. The consequence was,
that this lucrative trade was banished from
the town, and transferred to the country
stores. Like causes will produce like eff
feets. The effect of establishing market
house will be, to close up, or seriously i'm
pair, the trade of some thirty-edd grocers
who are now earning an honest living! Let
people pause and ponder before they sane
ton this disastrous policy. Let us have
free trade in the necessaries of life! The
citizens are better capable Of taking care of
themselves, than those who propose to act
as their guardians!
Let the country people be encouraged to
ceme to town with their produce when they
choose, and sell it when and where they
cheesep Why should they be driven away
by oneroHs and humiliating restrictions i'm
posed mainly by men who have no perma-
nent interest or attachme ant to the town.
The country people will not submit to it.
The large number of green grocers of the
city will not stand idly by and see their
business destroyed, and diverted to the
country stores. Experience is a better guide
than theory! Having tired the experiment
three times and failed, why should we OBJ
stinately persist, at great expense, in re-
peating it :?
But it may be said, that other towns and
small cities have markets which have been
successful. That may be true. Bat three
trials have proved that it will not succeed
here. 1t may be from the fact the country
surrounding our town is not particularly
adapted to trucking, or it may be from the
peculiar character of our people that they
do not approve it. But be the cause what
it may, the stubborn fact confronts US, that
we have tried at three times and failed 1t
is rather dangerous thing to be trifing
with the business. interests Of large and
worthy class of cur citizens. We should
seek to draw to eur town more trade, in
stead of driving off what we have. An
ounce ofprsventien is worth a pound of
cure. Better pause before we spend, say,
$40, 900 in repeating an experiment which
has three times failed.
CITIZEN.